…thanks to Becky B for hosting kindasquare in October
An unexpected walk in High Park today brought me to the High Park Zoo where I met this lovely girl.
A Different Kind of Cow
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Category Archives: walking
An Evening Walk on the Beach
…after arriving at the cottage we had a quick snack and then decided to explore the beach
Now that the days are getting shorter my daughter and I knew that we didn’t have a lot of time to walk on the beach before darkness set in. After sitting in the car for over three hours we needed to stretch our legs. We fuelled up on some tea and homemade apple cake and then headed down to the beach. We were pleasantly surprised to find the the water level had gone down somewhat since our last visit so walking on the beach was considerably easier than it was two weeks ago.
Wordless Wednesday – July 29, 2020
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I’m a Fan of Walking
…thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of…..
Even though Jez is ‘taking a break’ from hosting for awhile I thought I would share my love of walking. Whenever I get a chance to go for a walk or hike with my kids I jump at it, especially now. Up till now we’ve socially distanced ourselves, even on visits to our homes.
On the weekend, after our Father’s Day gathering with the family (in the backyard) my oldest daughter and I got in the car and drove to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. It’s about a 1 1/2 hour drive north of the city. Andrea had to pick up some race materials from a store in Orangeville so we decided to make the most of the outing and go for a hike.
Everything took longer than we thought. The drive took longer, the hike took longer and getting the race materials was the last thing on our list of things to do. Andrea was hoping to be back in the city by 1:30 but we didn’t even leave Orangeville till 1:30.
None of it mattered though because we had a great walk, we managed to pick up the race materials and the plans in Toronto were somewhat delayed anyway so no one was put out.
Mono Cliffs is an area that I have visited many times, mostly with my students. I think I’ve been up at the Outdoor Education Centre at least ten times. The Provincial Park is right next door and we would often take the kids to the Lookout and the ponds that are situated there. Going in from the other side was new for me. At the end of the hike we walked at least 5K. What a great morning!
Wildflowers and Grasses
…observed during our hike through Mono Cliffs Provincial Park on Saturday
A Photo a Week Challenge – Anything
…thanks to Nancy Merrill for this very open ended challenge
Sometimes these open ended challenges are more ‘challenging’ than ones with a specific theme. I have, however, created a theme of my own…..Fallen Trees. All these trees were photographed today on my morning walk through Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.
The Hazards of Trash Collecting – Part 4
….on our 30 Day Challenge Trish and I had a few mishaps
Collecting trash in the parks, along the beaches and in the rocks has its misfortunes. Luckily for us none of them were too serious.
Trash collecting can wreak havoc with your clothes:
Burrs were a constant problem.
Climbing over wire fences can cause tears in your tights.
The insects can also be problem. The midges were particularly bad. Thanks goodness for face masks.
Wearing proper shoes and gloves is very important. I learned both the hard way. On the rocks I pulled out a broken beer bottle and promptly cut my finger. Luckily I brought water with me and Trish had hand sanitizer. I put pressure on the cut and cleaned it out as best
I could. Once the bleeding stopped I put on my gardening gloves and continued to work.
On another trip I was wearing my sandals. It was towards the end of the challenge and a lot of vegetation had grown in on the pathways. Everything seemed fine until I felt a burning sting under my foot. I quickly looked down and saw a wasp fly out from under my toes. Upon closer inspection we didn’t see a stinger but I did notice red ants in the area and I suspect it was an ant that bit me and not the wasp.
Towards the middle of May as the weather warmed up it was important to wear sunglasses, hats and sunscreen. There were days when I felt I had been in the sun a little too long.
The final hazard of course is falling. There were days that I wasn’t comfortable on the rocks and I soon figured out it was due to my low blood pressure. If I didn’t have my morning coffee before we left I felt dizzy on the rocks and I would stay on the pathways while Trish did her thing diving between the rocks to retrieve treasures deep in the crevices. Even on the beaches the rocks were slippery and on the paths rocks jutted up and were tripping hazards. There were a few times that I slipped or tripped but luckily I always caught myself before going down.
Trish was more adventurous and one day she tried to jump to a large rock for a photo op but she slipped and ended up in the water (only her shoes got wet).
In the next segment I will talk about the fun and beauty of trash collecting.
Outdoor Art During COVID-19
….isolation brings out the creativity in people
Walking through the neighbourhood these last seven weeks I’ve come across some pretty amazing art. Some are very simple messages hung on trees, others are temporary works of art on the sidewalks and others clearly took some time and thought. Here are a few of the works I’ve come across.
I finally found Waldo……
RDP Friday – Overtime
….thanks to Rag Tag Community for hosting RDP Friday
The rain has certainly been working overtime these past few days. First time out for a walk for my husband since all this self isolation started and it poured.
Wordless Wednesday – April 8, 2020
Mama Cormier 